The present invention relates to a device for ventilating and deodorizing the air from toilets, urinals, bed pans and other receivers and holders of urine and fecal matter, and more particularly, to a ventilating and deodorizing device which utilizes a convenient and easily positionable member which is filled with a highly effective odor filtering media.
Various devices are known and have been proposed in the past for removing and deodorizing the air from a toilet. Some of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,491,382, 3,571,824, 3,790,970, 3,857,119, 4,059,857, and 5,125,119, which disclose toilet ventilating and deodorizing devices, some of which include removable members or cartridges containing filtering media through which the toilet air is directed for filtering and deodorizing. However, in such devices, the filtering media has a tendency to shift or settle during operation such that the air to be deodorized may end up passing through only a limited amount of the filtering media or such that some air actually bypasses the filtering media altogether. Further, in such devices lint, hair, and other particulates have a tendency to build up on the filtering media such that the ability of the air to pass through the filtering media is restricted. In such devices it may be necessary to change or adjust the filtering media more frequently than desirable in order for the devices to most effectively filter and thereby deodorize the air.
Another problem associated with known toilet ventilating and deodorizing devices is improper control of air intake of such devices. Such devices may take in air too quickly resulting in turbulent air flow in and around the toilet with the turbulent airflow resulting in spreading the odorous air. On the other hand, if the air intake rate is too slow, such devices may not take in air at a sufficient rate to effectively ventilate and deodorize.
Additionally, many known toilet ventilating and deodorizing devices utilize activated charcoal as the filter media, which has been found to be less effective than the preferred filter media disclosed in the present invention.
The present invention is designed to obviate and overcome many of the disadvantages and shortcomings experienced with the toilet deodorizing devices discussed hereinbefore and with other toilet deodorizing devices used in the past, and to provide a toilet deodorizing device which can be easily utilized.